Rescuing cabbage

Common vegetable often unappreciated and badly cooked

Five Minute Indian Style Cabbage, featured in "Herbivoracious," is a great way to explore the use of black mustard seed in Indian cooking. (Michael Natkin)

One woman's hunt for local foodstuffs and useful techniques for encounters in the wilds of the kitchen
(
PAUL AIKEN
)

There are scant few vegetables around in winter to get excited about. Cabbage is one of them. Yes, you read that right. With little or no competition, the shiny green and purple heads are a bright spot on a gray landscape of cold weather foodstuffs. On their own merit cabbages can be sweet and spicy with a pleasing texture if cooked properly. They are the perfect partner to rich pork and duck dishes.

Despite its coarse reputation associated with poverty, blandness and stink, cabbage is a worthy accompaniment to refined dishes. Although, you may have to get past the shudder caused by childhood dinner table memories of over-boiled stinky stews. Or its association with potatoes, corned beef and beer delivered with a hangover on the 18th of March.

Cabbages are part of the species Brassica Oleracea which includes the other cultivars, broccoli, cauliflower (my favorite), kale, Brussels sprouts, and Chinese kale. In its uncultivated form, it is known as wild cabbage and descends from a wild field cabbage that was probably originally found in Britain and continental Europe.

Cabbages weigh somewhere between 1 to 8 pounds come in a variety of shades of green, white and purple.

The dense- and smooth-leafed firm-headed green or purple cabbages are the most common. Crinkle-leafed savoy cabbages are more rarely seen. This is too bad since they are more delicate and sweet in flavor, so ideal in raw salads, slaws or wraps. Lastly, there are the loose-leafed Asian cabbages -- bok choy, choi sum and napa (Brassica rapa) -- which we will leave for another time of year.

Advertisement

With so many varieties cultivated, we have a cabbage for all seasons, but the tight-hearted varieties are best in winter. When selecting, look for heads that are heavy for their size, with crisp and bright looking leaves (avoid drooping or wilting and leaves with holes or brown spots at the edges). It should smell good with a stalk end that isn't dried up. It will keep in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator for a few weeks.

David Tanis, chef and contributor to the New York Times, writes: "Cabbage, so often cooked to death, can be deeply satisfying. The trick is to blanch it very briefly in salted water before combining it with other flavorful ingredients."

For the recipes here I have selected three from some of my favorite new cookbooks of 2012. The reverence with which each author treats the humble cabbage is both delicious and inspiring.

Maricel E. Presilla's "Gran Cocina Latina" is a hefty tome worth its weight. The product of more than 30 years of traveling research, this is a fantastic course on how Latin Americans cook and eat. Recipes will appeal to both the cooking novice and the experienced chef. The maps and photography make you want to dust off your passport and clear the calendar for the next few months. Presilla's recipe for braised "Warm Ecuadorian Cabbage and Fresh Cheese Salad" is a remarkable dish of simplicity in preparation and complexity in flavor.

From the award-winning blogger and vegetarian Michael Natkin, "Herbivoracious," the cookbook, is a persuasive campaign for meatless eating. His cooking boasts bold flavors and global influences that coax you immediately into trying his recipes. Many of the 150 recipes are accompanied by a photograph and take up a single page for easy following. His "Five Minute Indian Style Cabbage" is a super fast and delicious stir-fry side dish and a great introduction to cooking with mustard seeds. This dish lends itself to a wide variety of Indian spices if you are moved to improvise.

And from the maven food blogger, Deb Perelman, the "Smitten Kitten" blog-to-cookbook is a must-have in the home cook's library. For the sheer beauty of the photographs, the wide range of inspiring recipes, as well as the practical cooking tips, you'll want to have this on your bedside table. You won't possibly be able to resist her infectious joy when reading her kitchen wisdom. Her crunchy "Vinegar Slaw with Cucumbers and Dill" is satisfying and cleansing at the same time.

The many techniques for preparing cabbage include: boiling, braising, raw, sauté, steam, stir fry, stuffed and pickled (think sauerkraut and kimchi). However you prepare cabbage, make sure to wash the leaves not just the head, never overcook it and always drain well in a colander. The vegetable is a good source of beta carotene, vitamin C and fiber.

Directions: Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté until pale golden, about 30 seconds. Add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes, or until translucent. Stir in the cumin, salt and pepper.

Add the potatoes to the cooking sauce and sauté for 1 minute. Add the water and simmer, covered, over low heat for 12 minutes.

Add the cabbage, cover, and cook for 3 minutes, until soft. Add the milk and cheese and cook, stirring 2 minutes. Add the oregano and stir to mix well. Taste for seasoning. Remove from the heat and serve hot or warm, by itself or with a side of rice.

Serves 4 to 6.

Source: Maricel E. Presilla, "Gran Cocina Latina"

Five Minute Indian Style Cabbage

1/2 head green cabbage, cored and sliced into 1/4-inch wide ribbons

1 tablespoon vegetable oil or ghee (clarified butter), or mustard oil, or more to taste

1 large seedless or English cucumber (about 1 pound), sliced in round discs as thinly as possible (you can double this if you cannot get enough of cucumber)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

1/2 cup white wine vinegar

2 tablespoons kosher salt

4 teaspoons sugar

1/2 cup cold water

Directions: Toss the cabbage, cucumber, and dill together in a large bowl. Don't be freaked out by how big the salad looks; it settles as it marinates.

Whisk the vinegar, salt, and sugar together in a small bowl until the salt and sugar dissolve. Stir in the water. Pour the liquid over the salad, and let it marinate, tossing the cabbage occasionally. After 1 hour, it should be a bit wilted and crunchy; at 2 hours, the flavor is even better.

Cooking notes:

I use Diamond brand kosher salt. If you're using another brand, use less as it will be more densely salty.

Knights pick up first playoff win since '14BOULDER — This year's Fairview boys basketball team sure is full of surprises.
After losing five of their first eight games, the Knights rebounded to finish the regular season on a 13-2 run and found a way to win the Front Range League regular season championship. Full Story

The Boulder alt-country band gives its EPs names such as Death and Resurrection, and its songs bear the mark of hard truths and sin. But the punk energy behind the playing, and the sense that it's all in good fun, make it OK to dance to a song like "Death." Full Story